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Professors, educators, critical-thinkers, change-makers:

The READING GROUP GUIDE for “Man Up” just went live (which includes an in-depth Q and A w/ me about the book) – here are some excerpts:

“This book is all about growth and transformation. I could easily have made it some sterilized, politically correct manifesto on everything I’ve gotten right in my life. The only problem with that is no one would have been able to relate to it and, therefore, it would be completely useless.”

“It’s easy to say, “Throw away the script altogether. Forget about gender, let’s just be human.” But if you’re a fourteen-year-old Puerto Rican kid in Brooklyn, who’s primary models of masculinity are his abusive uncle and Chris Brown, that’s not concrete enough for him. To tell him, “Forget about the box, just be you,” is the same as not giving him a choice. That’s why counter-narratives are so important. Before we erase gender binaries and role-playing altogether, we first need to give people concrete ways to break out of them.”

“This memoir is not about telling guys, “Hey, I’m really great. You should be me.” On the contrary, it’s me saying, “I know what it’s like, brother. I struggled with endless pressure and expectations to not be who I was for years. Here’s how I tried to make sense of it. Here’s how I found authenticity, meaning, self-worth, joy, and love in the midst of it. Take what’s useful, leave what isn’t. Now go write your own story.””

To read the whole piece: http://www.us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/man_up.html

To see the clip of my interview earlier this week on CBS NY’s “Live from the Couch,” click HERE

Having spent the past 11 years touring colleges and universities (and visiting over 250 institutions), I feel an especially close connection to college students.  Each visit takes me back to my first day at college, sitting in my cramped dorm room surrounded by a sea of boxes as a fresh-faced eighteen year-old.

Since the release of my memoir “Man Up,” a number of students, professors, and administrators have asked me about using my new book as an FYE or Common Book for incoming students.  Check out this post on the Penguin on Campus Tumblr page…and feel free to pass it along to your FYE/Common Book committee.